I Never Told You
by ForTheLoveOfRickman
Summary: After the Battle of Hogwarts Severus Snape comes out alive and Fred does as well. Will Snape have a chance at happiness? What about Fred? Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

*~*Prologue/Chapter One*~*

The barriers and guards had just been put up in the hopes that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry could be saved. Marzia was standing next to her cousin, Poppy, uselessly hoping that the school could be saved.

All the students that were capable of fighting off trained, skilled, and talented wizards and witches were sitting ducks outside the school. The force-field-like-barrier let off a magnificent glow, which illuminated the Death Eaters. There were many. This battle was not going to easily be won. It was most certainly going to be a pyrrhic victory.

Amongst the outlines of several Death Eaters there were giants visible. Poppy could feel herself shaking with fright. Even if she had been part of the Order of the Phoenix since her fifth year, she was terrified of what might happen. This was only her seventh year, she couldn't die. She was too young. What about all the people she loved as well? Like her cousin standing next to her, promising to guide and guard her the best she could. Her friends were all she had after what had happened the previous year.

She was a Malfoy, their only daughter. She didn't have the same belief system as anyone in her family, and although she liked it that way, it hurt to see that no one in her family loved her. Her mother did, but Narcissa's love was the kind that just came with going through child-labour and spending countless hours with a baby. Once Poppy had been old enough to make her own choices, her family shunned her. Soon enough she found that Draco had attempted to kill the one man who could have saved all of them (her friends, family, and so many others) from the horrible fate that only Lord Voldemort could bring. She disowned her family when she found out the horrible news of the kind of things that they attempted.

Luckily, she had been part of Dumbledore's Army in her fifth year, and won over some people who she became very close with. One of these confidents just so happened to be a certain Fred Weasley. She stayed with the Weasley's during the summer between her sixth and seventh years.

That was another person she now had to worry about. Fred Weasley. She looked around, truly hoping that he was both there and yet wasn't. She loved him, even though she was sure that he didn't reciprocate her feelings, and she wasn't prepared to see him killed. It would break her fragile heart.

She was't prepared to see Marzia dead either. She was three years older than Poppy, and had come to the battle. Deep down when Poppy had wrote the letter to her, she was hoping that she wouldn't come and put her own neck on the line for her. She was hoping that her cousin would be the stereotypical Slytherin and save her own neck, instead of sticking it out for her.

Poppy's thoughts soon were interrupted. She could see barrier crumbling. Marzia put a hand on her shoulder, steadying her. She had started shaking so badly she was about to tumble over. "It'll be okay," her cousin drawled. "I'm going to protect you. Now, we don't have much time, so before all this starts, I'm going to tell you a few very important rules. You have to listen to what I say. If I say to run, you do it. If I fall from some curse, spell, jinx, or hex, run. Try not attract any attention to yourself…" She looked around. "Like Loony Lovegood over there."

"Luna's in my house. And okay, got it," she said. Marzia gave her an unconvincing smile, and then started counting down from ten. When she hit one, spells were flying. People were knocked to the ground.

She saw one of her friends, Eleanor Gilliman, fall to the ground. She didn't move, and her eyes were open. Poppy knelt beside her, Marzia hadn't noticed she had walked off. She was busy fighting some ugly looking Death Eater who had scars and fresh-looking bruises all across his veiny, pale skin.

Poppy looked down at Eleanor, hoping that she would show some small sign of life. But nothing. She reached out and pulled her eyelids down, as if to make her look like she was just sleeping.

When she stood back up, a curse was thrown right her. A very loud,"Protego!" could be heard from behind her. She threw curse and hex over and over again at her assailant. She didn't stop until her attacker lie on the ground, obviously unconscious from several feet away. She then turned to see who had helped her. It was none other than Fred Weasley, who gave her a very dorky smile.

Behind him she saw a Death Eater raise their wand, making it completely obvious they had no problem in killing the innocent by the look that spread across their face. Right as the last two syllables of the killing curse left the bloke's mouth, she pushed Fred to the ground, only barely managing to save both him and her.

This attacker was soon being taken care of by a very talented ex-Hogwarts Professor, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks at his side.

"Thanks," Fred said.

She smiled at him the best she could with all the cries of agony and screams of bloody murder and spells enveloping them. "Anytime."

The Battle of Hogwarts had begun, and was not going to won easily. By either side.

The Battle was now over. All that were capable were walking around, searching for any possible survivors. Marzia took the odd route. Whilst most of the students and fighters were staying around the main battle sight, Marzia was scouting any place she could think of. Not only was she looking for Death Eaters that had fled from the battle last minute, but she just wanted to be away from all the death and blood. It wasn't that she could stomach it, but it was the fact that some of the most important people in her life had died.

Luckily Poppy had been able to save herself along with Fred. After she had run off without notice when Marzia had been fighting some random, vulgar looking Death Eater, all she could really do was try to find her while fighting for her life. Poppy would soon face the repercussions of going against her orders, but now was definitely not the time.

Marzia walked right up to the now destructed Whomping Willow. Now that it was pretty much torn to bits and pieces, you could walk up to it with no real fear of swinging branches with intent to harm. 'Merlin only knows why they even put some such a harmful plant in a school…' she thought.

Then something caught her eye. It was a large hole that she had never before noticed, hidden under a very thick root. She wasn't thinking completely straight and went right on down the hole, which she soon realised to be a tunnel. She walked in the dark path for what seemed like hours, even though it must have only been a few minutes. She arrived on the other side to a shabby looking building that was most likely older than Professor McGonagall. She soon realised the building as the Shrieking Shack. She hadn't been near this location for almost three years.

Curiosity won over, and she started her trek up to the grubby structure. Upon opening the door, she felt something horrible wash over her. She doubted it to be a Death Eater because why on earth would a Death Eater think to come here? She asked herself that question just to have her subconscious tell her, "Because it's almost perfect for hiding."

Mustering as much strength as she could and preparing herself for the worst, she walked into the shack. She searched the entire bottom floor, but nothing was found. She came upon the basement, and after opening the door to it noticed that half the steps down were gone and it was far enough down that no fool would dare make the jump. Quietly sighing, she closed the door and turned around. She headed up the creaky, dusty, old stairs and saw foot prints. She was instantly alert and ready to cast a hex that would make Fenrir Greyback cry for mercy.

She slowly made her way up the stairs, testing each step by putting the smallest amounts of weight onto each one before continuing. After a two minute stair climb, she was at the top landing. She saw only two rooms up here. One of the doors rooms was shut, and no footprints led to it. The other door was slightly ajar, and footprints did lead to it.

Gathering herself for more battle, which was inevitably to come, she held her wand out and steadily made her way to the door. She kicked it open, actually hoping to find at least something other than what she did see. Even a goat with its insides stretched over the four-poster bed would have been easier to see than the sight before her.

She dropped her wand to her side and ran to her ex-Potions professor. She knelt to the ground and started checking for any signs of life immediately. At first she felt nothing and was on the verge of tears. This man, even though he had been absolutely horrible to everyone, including his Slytherins sometimes, had been there for her many times. She had frequent nightmares about the Dark Lord in her first two years at Hogwarts, and he had always comforted her. In her sixth year, she had been so happy to learn that he would be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, which happened to be her favourite subject. In her seventh year, Cedric Diggory had died. Cedric was actually a friend of hers, and when she went crying to her professor, he had been there. When he had killed Dumbledore, she was so torn. She still loved and trusted him, but she couldn't get over the fact that he had killed a very important person that used to play a major role in her life. He played her grandfather figure, seeing as how her Muggleborn mother was an alcoholic and her Muggle step-father was a drug addict. Albus and Severus had been the only two role models in her life, other than Minerva McGonagall, who gave her the fatherly-type attention she needed.

Thinking about all these things brought tears to her eyes. Tears rolled down her cheeks while she frantically searched for a sign of life. When she found none, she rocked back onto her heels and sobbed quietly into her hands.

She heard a breath hitch, but thought it was her own. Then she heard a small gurgle of sorts, and looked at the dead man lying in front of her. She saw his mouth move slightly.

At seeing this, she no longer cared if it was an illusion or not and began to do as many healing spells as she could think of. She soon cast her Kneazle patronus, hoping that Madam Pomfrey would get the message in time.

While she waited, she crawled over to look at Professor Snape's face. She pulled his head into her lap, brushing small locks of ebony black hair from his face. She started unconsciously singing, not noticing she was off-key, and just kept making sure he was alive, casting a few spells on him in between versus or choruses.

Madam Pomfrey arrived soon and conjured a gurney from a dusty flower vase before magically lifting his seemingly lifeless body onto it, warning the two other Healers with her to be extremely careful.

They left for St. Mungo's. Marzia headed back to Hogwarts so that she could find Poppy and tell her, and also to ask Potter what had happened. After he had said something about Severus never belonging to Voldemort, she became quite suspicious.

She never really liked Harry Potter or the Weasleys, but she learned to get along with them none-the-less since Sirius Black had been her uncle. Regulus was her father, and after getting her Mudblood mother (This is the only person she had ever called this) pregnant, put them into hiding with high hopes that Voldemort would never find them. His hopes were fulfilled, as he was such a good Secret-Keeper and kept his wife and daughter's whereabouts unknown, but it cost him his life. The Dark Lord's first downfall happened shortly after Regulus was killed, and the two females came out of hiding. Marzia got to have a somewhat normal life from that point until her mother remarried a Muggle. When this happened she was six, and from that point on grew up in a broken home. It was not something the half-blood was proud of at all.

After arriving back and discussing everything she had to with everyone she had to, she Disapparated to St. Mungo's, where she waited patiently and anxiously in the waiting room.


	2. Chapter 2

_*~*_Chapter Two*~*

* * *

Back at Hogwarts, Poppy was with Fred and George and the rest of the Weasleys, Hermione, Harry, Neville, and Luna. They had all decided to get together and work together while they attempted to rebuild the school. McGonagall was walking around shouting orders about which spells to use and which person needed to use that spell.

St. Mungo's Healers were walking around Healing people with minor injuries to the best of their abilities and taking certain people to the hospital. Poppy knew that Marzia went to the hospital, but she didn't really know why. Her cousin just came up to them, reprimanded her then said she had to go to St. Mungo's, then Disapparated. She was left slightly confused and suspicious, but couldn't do much about it for having to stay at the school.

Fred and George kept cracking jokes every so often about Voldemort's weird smile or about how Bellatrix looked right before their mother went "All badass and killed her," as they liked to put it.

"Well, I think I should go to St. Mungo's. Marzia said she was going there and all, so I should probably be going," Poppy said. Standing up from where she had been sitting on the dirty and somewhat blood stained ground.

"Did she say what for?" Ginny inquired.

"Nope. But I should probably go and see what all the hubbub is about."

Harry stood up. "Can we go to?" He asked.

"Sure," Poppy replied. They all stood up and laid their hands on her outstretched arms, then went off to St. Mungo's.

* * *

When they arrived they got all of their things sorted out at the front desk and learned that Severus Snape was in the Intensive Care Unit for Animal Injuries. Figuring that that was where Marzia would be, they headed off to the unit. They found her lying asleep on a row of grey, uncomfortable-looking, armless hospital chairs. Her mouth was slightly open, and she was snoring.

Fred and George snorted with laughter after a loud snore escaped her, and it woke her up. She groggily sat up, her hair a complete mess, and looked around for the noise that had woken her. Poppy, Ginny, and Hermione sat on the three other chairs that Marzia had been occupying in her sleep.

Hermione was the first one to speak. "So, how's Professor Snape? Have they told you anything yet?" The four girls, plus Harry and Ron, looked at her seriously, while Luna and Neville were having some strange conversation about some strange creature that Luna's father had just discovered in their basement, and Fred and George were talking about new ideas for their joke shop.

"No, I haven't heard anything other than that he may be asleep for quite some time, and that if I hadn't found him when I did it probably would have been too late." When this information hit the Trio's ears, deep frowns formed, foreheads were creased, and eyebrows were furrowed. Harry muttered something about how much of a stupid bastard he was that he didn't check for any vital signs. Ginny went over to him and told him it wasn't his fault, and that, "Even Snape thought he was going to die in a matter of minutes."

"She has a point, Harry," said Poppy. Back at Hogwarts she had been told by Harry about Snape, but Marzia knew nothing of what Snape had done, or why he had done it. "Hey, Marzia?" Her cousin's head shot up in her direction.

Marzia's brow furrowed more, if possible, and Poppy noticed how much younger she looked than what she actually was. She was twenty-one, but looked like she was seventeen, or just slightly younger. "Yeah?"

"Why did you save Professor Snape? Weren't you pissed at him for killing Dumbledore," Harry flinched, "and for doing all sorts of other cruel things to the kids still at Hogwarts?" Poppy asked.

Marzia relaxed a little, thinking that it was going to be a question about all the deaths that had happened. "Of course I was angry. It's just, when I found him lying there, it didn't feel right to just leave him. He was actually like the dad I never got to have when I was growing up."

"Maybe you should tell her the story, Harry. About why Professor Snape killed Dumbledore," again, Harry flinched, "and why he was so mean to you," Luna said, using a tone so serious that Hermione looked at her like she had grown two heads.

Harry gave a very weak smile, thinking about the memories his former professor had given him, and told the story to them all. Hermione had started tearing up in parts; Fred and George actually stopped talking about their franchise; Ron still had the worried look on his face; Luna stared off into space, regaining her "normal" composure once more; Ginny sat rigid in the chair next to Harry; Neville was the same as Ginny, just on the other side of the room; and Poppy and Marzia just sat stock-still, listening to every word Harry said with the utmost interest. In the end, Marzia let out a small whimper.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Harry," started Marzia, "but you're dad, Remus, and Sirius were all asses."

Harry gave her a forced smile in return, "I know. My dad especially deserved a Bludger to the head. He changed eventually though." His smile turned from forced to genuine. Marzia just smiled back at him.

They sat there for a while after that, just talking about their days at Hogwarts, or just about completely random things that Luna would come up with. After about an hour or two, one of the Head Healers came out. "Who are you all here for?" He asked.

They all stopped talking and looked around, waiting for someone to say who they were there for. "Well?" prompted the Healer.

"Severus Snape," said Ginny. He nodded, then walked back down the corridor. They all shared questioning looks. After a minute or so, he came back with a large file and a clipboard.

"I am Healer Thomas J. Ferguson, and I am looking after Severus Snape. Before I continue, I am going to ask you all to hold your tongues until I am finished. Is this understood?" He paused, and the group nodded their heads simultaneously. He continued, "Severus Snape, as you know, is in intensive care. The snake that bit him had very powerful venom, but somehow, mostly by a tonic of some sort taken over a certain amount of time, Mr. Snape seemed to have built up a sort of immunity to it. If he hadn't been found sooner, though, the venom would have gotten the better of him, and slowly killed him." Fred, George, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Poppy all looked at Marzia, while the other just looked at the Healer. Marzia's attention was completely on the Healer, not paying attention to anything going on around her.

"Mr. Snape may suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder for awhile, but he should be fine. As of this moment, he is still under and may possibly be in a coma. When, and if, he does wake up, who do you all think she be the one he should wake up to?" The group looked around at each other and exchanged even more confused looks. "I'll let you talk it over and come back in a few minutes."

"Who should it be? Definitely not me," said Neville. Fred, George, and Ginny all said, "Not me." at the same time. Harry was already out of the question, along with Hermione and Ron. The only three left to choose from were Luna, Poppy, and Marzia.

"I don't think you should go, Luna," said Hermione tentatively.

Luna turned her wide-eyed gaze onto Hermione. "No, I suppose I shouldn't."

Poppy turned to her cousin. "I think you should do it. You were a Slytherin, after all. He's probably not going to be too upset to see you."

"Okay," Marzia sighed, "I guess I can. And what do you mean by, 'not going to be too upset to see you'?"

"After what he went through, I'm sure he doesn't really want to live anymore," Harry whispered. Marzia nodded in understanding.

When Healer Ferguson came back in, they sorted everything out. He said that they could wake him up after he was healed just a little more, and they would contact her when they were going to do it. She just nodded, not saying a word.


	3. Chapter 3

*~*Chapter Three*~*

It had been a month exactly since Severus Snape had been saved from the Shrieking Shack. The date was June 2, 1998, 3:42 P.M. The time wasn't when he was found, but the date sure as heck was.

Marzia had finally been called back to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. She had gone to the Burrow to tell Poppy, who had stayed at the Burrow all summer so far, and found the whole Weasley clan there, minus Fred and George who were working at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, and also found Harry Potter and Hermione Granger there. They all quickly set off for St. Mungo's, of course by Disapparating.

They sorted everything out with a witch at the front desk, who had resembled ex-Professor Umbridge with an uncanny likeness. Harry's face had screwed up when she had spoken and found that her voice wasn't anything like Umbridge's. It was very rough, and very tenor-ish, instead of the high-pitched, torturous tone of the old toad. The Weasley's, Hermione, Poppy, and Marzia all just laughed at Harry's face.

Soon enough though, after humiliating Harry until they reached their destination, they reached the private quarters of Severus T. Snape; Room 3394. The guard outside the door checked their visitor's passes, checked his clip-board, then pointed to Marzia. He motioned her inside the room, put his fingers to his lips as if to say, "Be quite – He's just woke up."

Walking inside the room she noticed the white walls, white bed sheets covering Severus, and just that everything in the room was white as could be. The only thing that wasn't white was the uncomfortable, grey chair that had been brought in from the waiting room down the hall. She made her way over to the small bed-side table and placed a small vase of flowers upon it. Jasmines. She loved the way they smelled and only hoped that Severus wasn't allergic to them.

Severus had been reading a magazine about potions and hadn't seen her enter the room. He jumped when the glass of the vase hit the white, painted wood of the side table. Marzia chuckled lightly as Severus scowled at her. "Did I surprise you, Professor?" she asked him with slight sarcasm and a small, crooked smile flitting across her lips.

He gave her a mock smile, then sneered. Her smiled became wider. "Now, Professor Snape. Is that anyway to treat a visitor?" She plopped down into the chair next to his bed.

His sneer disappeared, and his face became unreadable of any emotion. "I'm not your professor, nor anyone's professor, anymore. I resigned from that career entirely."

Marzia's smile fell, and she raised one eyebrow. "You mean that you'll never teach again? Ever?"

"That was the message being given," he replied with his usual sarcasm.

She smirked. "Well, darling ex-Professor Snape, it might interest you to know that I have been offered a position at the school." She graciously placed her hands in her lap, and straightened her back, pretending to be more superior than the man lying next to her.

It was now Severus' turn to raise an eyebrow. "A position at Hogwarts? What on Earth could they have offered you. An assistant for Hagrid? You don't have any idea how to teach a class for a whole term, let alone one day."

"Oh, harsh, sir. But it might interest you to know that I was offered an actual subject to teach. And one that you have a high regard for, at that." She was toying with him a bit, and he knew it.

He decided to play off the fact that she actually had caught him off his guard. Professor Slughorn and said, and promised, that he would be leaving Hogwarts as a teacher forever after that year had ended. He knew that the Carrow twins would no longer be teaching there, seeing as how they were either in Azkaban or dead. Which he didn't know. Nor cared. He didn't yet know who all was dead or alive, so for all he knew Professor McGonagall herself could be dead. Or Fillius. The possibilities as to whom could have died that were qualified to teach a subject were limited, but still.

After turning this idea in every which way possible and examining it from every angle in his head, he decided he would just save himself the trouble of getting a head ache and ask his ex-student. "What are you teaching? And please, no mind games. I don't wish to get a head ache."

She smiled at him, which unnerved him a bit. He still wasn't used to the emotion of pleasure being thrown his way, even though the nurses and Head-Healer that came in to check on him were constantly smiling and laughing at his sarcastic remarks, which were all at their expense of course. "And I don't wish to be the cause of one if you do get a head ache. I'm going to be teaching your favourite subject of all time: Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"That's quite a feat for someone who has never taken on an Apprenticeship on the subject, Ms. Black."

"I know, sir. That's something I thought about. So, naturally, I thought I could come to you for help on something every now and then to confirm a theory or anything when I'm questioning my knowledge of it? I was qualified enough to take the position. Well, at least Minerva thought that I was," she said, shrugging on the last sentence.

"I wouldn't mind you contacting me with questions about a subject I know well. In fact, anytime you feel like sending me an owl, please feel free. I would enjoy it much more than all the fan mail I've been receiving from complete strangers." He gestured to a large bag and a large pile of paper in a corner between his bed and the wall that Marzia had failed to notice earlier.

Marzia laughed. "I'll keep that in mind, sir. Do you mind if I call you by your given name?"

He was slightly surprised to hear her say that, but then again she had saved his life. Even if he hadn't wanted to go on from that point, he figured it was the least he could do. He sighed, "I suppose."

She smiled, then the two sat in comfortable silence for just a few minutes. Marzia was the one to break this silence. "So, Severus, how have you been feeling lately? I'm sure you've been asked this question enough by now that it probably makes you sick, but it was kind of the whole reason for this visit."

His hand flew to the bandages on his neck. "I'm fine," he looked away from her, and dropped his hand. "I thought your visit would have something to do with Minerva asking me to come back and work for Hogwarts when I was able when you started talking about working there yourself." The smallest of smiles flickered across his face, and he prayed that Marzia hadn't seen it. Even if she had been one of his favourite Slytherins in the past, he had to keep his reputation up. He didn't want people to think he was going soft. Just as Marzia's mouth fell open to speak, the door to the room opened up to reveal the guard that had been outside Severus's hospital room poked his head in. "Time's up," he said.

Marzia turned in her seat, said, "Okay." then stood up, turning back to Severus. "Minerva actually did want you to come back when you were ready. I wanted to save that information for a later visit though." Leaning down, she whispered into his ear, "And by the way, I saw that smile, Severus." She then kissed his cheek and walked out of the room.

"Why'd you have to take up all the visiting time, Marzia?" Hermione whined when she met with the group she had brought with her outside the room.

"Because I'm Slytherin and you're not, therefore you would have upset Severus." Marzia retorted. She never really liked Hermione all that much. She didn't know why, though. Most likely because, despite the slight age difference between the two, they were always in a battles of wits.

"Humph," was all Hermione said. The few people that had been sitting down and waiting, which were most of them, stood up, and the large group began their trek down the hall.

"So why was there a guard outside the door? It's not like he's super dangerous or anything…"

"Ron, you're such a dunce!" Hermione said. "If you used to be a Death Eater, and now weren't, and had been revealed to be a spy, and there were still a few Death Eaters out there; don't you think that a little extra security wouldn't hurt?" She laced her arm through his, then smack his arm when an "Oh…" escaped his lips. 'Their relationship is going to be a funny and difficult one', Marzia mused to herself.


	4. Chapter 4

*~* Chapter Four*~*

Back at the Burrow, where the group now resided, Fred and George had arrived. They had brought with them all sorts of new jokes and novelty items for everyone to try out. Fred would try out a new kind of candy that would make your head blow up to ten times its normal size, let everybody have a good laugh, then let George give him the antidote. They would switch back and forth between who ate what and who gave who the antidote.

"It's dinner time! Everyone get in here!" Mrs. Weasley called from the kitchen. Ron and Harry perked up and raced towards the kitchen and everyone else just got up like the regular people they were, Poppy, Fred, and George taking up the rear.

When they got into the kitchen they saw all the things that Mrs. Weasley had cooked up for all her house guests. Mashed potatoes, gravy, puddings of all kinds, three different kinds of bread, and so many more things. Fred and George sat down on opposite sides of the table and Poppy saw nowhere to sit down.

Fred turned in his chair. "Oy!" he called. "Come and sit between Marzipan and me!"

Marzia slapped Fred on the arm. "Don't call me that!"

Fred just started laughing, then got up and pulled a chair out for Poppy. "For you, darling," he said, imitating Fluer's French accent. The half-Veela just glared at Fred, not much liking the fact of being mocked.

Poppy beamed at Fred. "Pourquoi, je vous remercie, mon amor," she replied, taking the seat. Fred stared at her, completely dumbfounded. Fluer made a "Huff." sort of noise, before placing her napkin in her lap and saying, "She zaid, 'Why, zank you, love.'"

Sitting down, Fred asked her, "You speak French?" Poppy nodded, then began to fill her plate with some chicken, bread, and mashed potatoes. "Since when?" Fred asked her.

"I don't know…? About three years I think?" She answered, putting the spoon back into the big gravy bowl.

Fred nodded, then began to fill he plate. When he had filled it to the point that it looked like it was going to fall through the wooden table, he looked back up at Poppy, who was ravenously gnawing at a bone where a piece of chicken had been just moments before. "So," Fred started but was cut off by Marzia.

"Would you be quite and eat!" She looked thoroughly annoyed. Mumbling about something, she turned her attention back to her plate.

Fred leaned over and whispered in Poppy's ear, "What's her problem?"

Poppy put down her chicken bone and whispered back into Fred's ear, "She may be on her monthly. You know, she was really happy a few minutes ago." Fred said "That must be it!" and started eating once more. About midways down the table Ron burped extremely loud, and Mrs. Weasley, Hermione, Fluer, and Marzia all started complaining about how rude it was.

After dinner, most everyone had either gone home, or had gone to bed. Fluer, Bill, and Charlie had gone back to their homes. Hermione went to visit her parents since she hadn't seen them in about a month. Harry, Ron, and Ginny were all in Ron's room trying out some of the newest Weasley Joke Shop products. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had both gone to bed. All that were left up and in the kitchen were Fred, George, Poppy, and Marzia.

The four magical beings all sat around the now seemingly deserted table. Marzia was reading about Defense Against the Dark Arts, and the other three were just talking about whatever came to mind.

Marzia closed her book, looking slightly flustered. "What is it with the way that they describe a Patronus in here?" she asked, pointing at the book that was now lying face down on the table. "They say that they're 'A misty animal that takes place and is sometimes referred to as a 'Spirit Animal'."

Poppy looked at her cousin, confused. "Isn't that what a Patronus technically is?"

"No, it is bloody well not! It's a protector! I've read that chapter at least three times and it has never once mentioned that a Patronus could take the shape of someone else's that you love deeply. It's never really implied the fact that a Patronus is a protector and messanger. It just says, in a paraphrase, that they protect against Dementors and take the shape of an animal. Nothing else!" Marzia was pacing around the stop, turning back and going the other way every three or four chairs.

"Okay. Calm yourself. Geez." George said, putting his hands up on either side of his head like Marzia had threatened him. Marzia muttered a "Sorry." then plopped back into her chair.

Poppy clapped her hands. "I know something we could do to get your mind off of your studies for a bit, Marz." Marzia looked at her cousin quizzically, eyebrow arched. "We could play Truth or Dare! Do you two know how to play?" She pointed at the two twins sitting at the table. They both nodded. "Excellent! Do you guys want to play?"

George said, "Why not?" Fred said, "Sure," and Marzia just shrugged.

"I'll start," Poppy said. "Marzia, truth or dare?"

Marzia was silent for a moment, then said, "Dare."

Poppy smiled maliciously. "I dare you to go upstairs into Ron's room and start snogging him. Do this for five minutes."

Fred and George made a gagging noise and Marzia just stood up. "Are you going to come and watch?" The other three stood up and followed her up to Ron's room, where they found Harry sitting next to Ginny on Ron's bed, and Ron sitting in a chair just big enough for one more person to barely squeeze in.

"Hey, what's up?" Ginny asked when she saw the quartet standing in the doorway. They said nothing, and Marzia began to walk over to where Ron was sitting in the chair.

"Can I help you?" he said.

"You can, actually." And then Marzia had climbed on top of him and started snogging him senseless. After five minutes had passed, she climbed off of him. "Thanks," she said, then left, but not before noticing Harry's and Ginny's faces. Both their eyes were wide and their mouths were gaping.

The four headed down the stairs, laughing manically. "It wasn't really that funny, guys!" Marzia said when they got back into the kitchen.

Fred managed to stop laughing and said, "Oh, whatever! Now ask one of us to do something!"

Marzia stuck her tongue out at him. "Fine, Mr. Bossy Pants! Truth or dare?"

"Dare!" he said.

Marzia took a moment to think. "I dare you to kiss Miss Poppy over here." Marzia pointed over her shoulder with her thumb to a completely red Poppy Malfoy.

Fred shrugged. "No problem." He went over to Poppy and gently grabbed both of her shoulders. Leaning down, he placed his lips on hers and sweetly kissed her. Poppy smiled into the kiss, and attempted to make the kiss a bit more passionate. Fred obliged, and added on to the passion. Soon enough, Fred was running his hands up and down Poppy's arms, and Poppy had one hand in his hair, the other on his shoulder. Fred asked for entrance, and Poppy decided not to let him in, and started playing hard to get. Fred realised what she was doing and smirked. He pinched her arm, which caused her to gasp. He seized the moment and slid his tongue inside of her mouth where he battled her for dominance.

"Eh-hem," Marzia said in her best Umbridge voice. Poppy jumped and backed away from Fred. "I said kiss, not make out until neither of you can stand straight!"

Wiping the small amount of slobber from his mouth and looking at Poppy he said, "You're not too bad… For a Malfoy, anyway."

"Oh, shut up!" Poppy said, crossing her arms over her chest, then looking around the room. She looked at a normal clock that had been hung up next to the odd one that showed where someone was, she noticed the time. "And I'm going to head off to bed. It's one in the morning."

"Okay. Sounds like a good idea," George said. "I'm going to go to bed, too. Be a long day ahead of us tomorrow Fred. I suggest you do the same."

Fred looked around, and saw Marzia making no move to get up for bed. "Yeah, I'll go to bed in a minute, George. Just a few things I need to do before I go to bed, though." George shrugged and left the room, Poppy walking out with him. Fred looked back to Marzia. "Aren't you going to go to bed?"

"She likes you, you know. Poppy. Thinks you're a real catch," Marzia said.

"And I'm not?" he said, taking a seat next to her.

She stuck her tongue out at him again, then leaned back into her chair. "I never said that."

Fred chuckled. "If you stick that tongue out at me one more time I'll have to cut it off. It's unattractive, love," Fred said, using sarcasm to an extreme on the word 'love'.

"Oh, and you know all about being attractive, don't you, love?" Marzia retorted, mocking Fred's sarcasm.

Fred smirked. "I seem to know more about it than you do, seeing as how I have someone crushing on me."

Marzia's face scrunched up. "Prat." Fred started laughing lightly. "I'm going to go to bed now," Marzia started, "and I suggest, like your brother, that you do the same."

"I will," Fred said back. As Marzia was walking out of the kitchen, he decided to mess with her a bit. "Oh, by the way Marzipan," he started. Marzia turned around, a look of the highest annoyance playing across her features. Fred took in her appearance, then came up with his way of messing with her. "Those shorts really show off how nice your legs are and all, but your cousin's legs are much better."

Marzia turned around and began to walk off. "Her legs are shorter than mine!" she called.

Fred laughed, and after a few minutes got up to go to Ron's room where he would be sleeping. George was in his and Fred's old room, which was now occupied by Harry, and Poppy and Marzia were sharing a room with Ginny. After getting changed into his pajamas, Fred climbed into bed and fell fast asleep.


End file.
